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Wolfpack Falls to Stanford in Back and Forth Battle: Stats, Observations

NC State baseball suffered a disappointing loss in the first game of the series against the Stanford Cardinal.
Tucker Sennett|
Third Baseman Sherman Johnson celebrates a double on second base during NC State's 10-3 win over East Carolina in Greenville, N.C., on April 14, 2026.
Third Baseman Sherman Johnson celebrates a double on second base during NC State's 10-3 win over East Carolina in Greenville, N.C., on April 14, 2026. | Courtesy of NC State Athletics

NC State baseball traveled all the way across the country for a crucial conference series against Stanford. The Wolfpack, still dealing with an array of injuries, particularly in the pitching staff, battled in a back-and-forth affair at the Sunken Diamond, but couldn't hang on in the end, losing to the Cardinal 6-5.

The Pack got a monumental effort from third baseman Sherman Johnson, who drove in three of the six RBI in the loss. A four-run bottom of the eighth proved to be the difference in the game, as Stanford regained a lead over NC State and held on just enough in the top of the ninth to win the series opener.

Wolfpack lineup and stats

  1. LF Rett Johnson: 1-5
  2. 2B Luke Nixon: 2-4, R
  3. 1B Chris McHugh: 1-5, 2 K
  4. CF Ty Head: 1-5, R, K
  5. 3B Sherman Johnson: 3-3, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 BB, HR (6)
  6. DH Brandon Novy: 0-2, K -- PH Andrew Wiggins: 0-1 -- PH/DH Vincent DeCarlo: 0-1, K
  7. SS Christian Serrano: 2-4, R, BB, K
  8. C Drew Lanphere: 1-3, RBI, BB, K
  9. RF Brayden Fraasman: 0-4, 3 K

LHP Cooper Consiglio: 6.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 8 K
RHP Ryder Garino: 1.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, BB, 3 K, L (3-4)
LHP Tristan Potts: H
RHP Sam Harris: 0.1, K

Observations

NC State got yet another valiant effort from left-handed pitcher Cooper Consiglio, who took over the Friday role from Heath Andrews. Stanford's first two runs came on wild pitches from the junior lefty, but he tightened things up after the first inning, striking out eight Cardinal batters the rest of the way. The Pack didn't provide much offensive help for the veteran pitcher, unfortunately.

The lone run producer early was Johnson, who hammered his sixth home run of the season in the second inning to cut Stanford's lead in half. He came up clutch with three hits on the night, including an RBI double in the top of the ninth to pull NC State back within two runs, giving them a chance to steal a win. Unfortunately, the offense didn't have enough to get over the hump.

Stanford got to talented sophomore righty Ryder Garino with great success in the bottom of the eighth. A base hit tied the game with one out and Garino couldn't work his way out of the jam, getting tagged for three runs and the loss. The Wolfpack ended up burning both Garino and Sam Harris in the first game of the series, but saved its top reliever, Anderson Nance, for the rest of the series.

The Wolfpack will need to get more out of the lineup in the second game of the series if it wants to have a shot at salvaging the series with a pair of victories. It won't be easy, especially on the road, but Elliott Avent's Pack has been able to bounce back from losses fairly well over the last three weeks.

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Tucker Sennett
TUCKER SENNETT

Tucker Sennett graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Sports Journalism from the esteemed Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. A former basketball player, he has gained valuable experience working at Cronkite News and brings a deep passion for sports and reporting to his role as the NC State Wolfpack Beat Writer On SI.

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